How does your child express their individuality? Tell us for a chance to win a £100 John Lewis voucher plus picture book Odd Dog Out

[SorchaMumsnet]

Rob Biddulph's beautiful new picture book Odd Dog Out is all about blazing a trail, and being who you are. To celebrate its publication, we're asking you to share how your mini superstars dare to be different.

It's a dog's life in the big city but one dog doesn't quite fit in. It's lonely being the odd dog out when all she wants to do is find her place in the world. She's willing to travel far on her quest, but it might take a different kind of journey for her to realise that maybe she's exactly where she needs to be.

A sublimely sunny and exquisitely illustrated tale about fitting in and standing out, from the award-winning and tremendously talented Rob Biddulph.

We'd love to hear how your little ones to express their individuality (and how you help them to do so) - whether it's insisting on wearing their favourite character costume 24/7 or only eating certain coloured food. For a chance to win a copy of Odd Dog Out and £100 voucher to spend at John Lewis, just tell us on this thread.

This discussion is sponsored by HarperCollins and will close at midday on 22 February

Books T&Cs apply

Walking is not good enough for my DD anymore! She has to hop. Everywhere. She's only 17 months! Makes me wonder what else we'll be in store for..

DS is only 19 months and expresses himself through crazy dancing. Spin, spin, spin, shakey, shakey, shakey!

My daughter sings. She sings when she wakes (and wakes us up with her rendition of 'we wish you a merry Christmas') we love it!

DS2 has ASD.

He's at the stage where he's realising he's different. He's heard other children calling him 'weird' for insisting on wearing his Pokemon hat all the time or adoring fluffy toys at slightly older than usual. I could go on.

But he's decided to own it. Because we talk a lot about 'weird'. Because now he knows that 'weird' is also magical, different, unique, never-before-done and, in exactly his words 'no one else quite like me in the world'. And he's happy like that.

Dd who is 9 and I suspect has aspergers wears whatever the heck she likes, shorts with bright leggings and a floaty top. The brightest trainers that she can find.

They have uniform at their school so out of school her clothes are chosen by her and are bright and cheerful, they don't necessarily match but they make her feel good.

Through dress up and role play - hilariously creative oufits.

DS has a flair for the dramatic and will come out with the funniest vocabulary that he has picked up from poems, books and the TV. When arriving at a friends house, when she opened the door, he announced that he 'was knocking on the old inn door for ages'. He's got a great set of excuses for not doing what he is told. He couldn't walk to nursery because he had become 'stranded', he couldn't clear the table because he was 'as heavy as a stone' and he wouldn't put his socks on because they were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Slightly wearing but also very funny.

My four year old son is heavily in to my little pony to the point of asking for my little pony PJ's which he now has. Were happy to accommodate especially at this age, it won't do any harm. So he even has a my little lunchbox and umbrella.

He dances. All day. Doesn't matter what music there is he finds a way to dance to it. Even in his car seat he nods his head.

And the most beautiful thing is the joy on his face as he does so. He has special needs and struggles to make himself understood but doesn't need any words to dance.

How do I help him? I join in.

Love that Molly

Thank you my favourite was when he started dancing to the church bells he heard whilst walking through town!

My daughter has her own sense of style and is very clear about what she wants to wear (even though none of it remotely matches and she ends up looking like a pre-school version of Zandra Rhodes). It's just not worth arguing!

Dd will pick up any object and use them as "figures" so she can act out scenes from her mind. She also does the voice for the dog and her little sister. I wouldn't change her quirkiness for the world.

At his 4th birthday party my DS insisted on having 'War of the Worlds' music as his pass the parcel music (he loves the beginning with the violins) and tubular bells 2 (the exorcist one) for the musical chairs! The other parents were very amused!

My daughter is crazy about words and writing. So far we have had a message saying "sorry" made out of socks on her bedroom floor and a "Congratulations" (which was particularly impressive) made out of Lego!

DS (6) loves E.L.O. He knows all the words to Mr Blue Sky and is often to be found with his headphones on singing along, I have the best video of him singing and dancing it in the kitchen (saved for later). His teacher was really amused when he asked her if she preferred Fleetwood Mac or E.L.O! My DH keeps trying to persuade him to like other music and musicians but he cannot be changed. I adore how he is so comfortable in his likes and preferences.

My dd has a vast imaginary world that she dips in and out of at will. She might be a teacher, or a pop star, or a coastguard, seemingly dependent on things she's seen or done that have inspired her. I often hear her chatting away in role when I'm elsewhere in the house, but she's quite happy doing this at school too.

From an early age, ds insisted on unmatching socks. Still does, at 16

DS3 loves dancing and pretending he's Michael Jackson!

by wearing dress up all the time even at nursery and calling the teacher princess

My son makes me feel a bit sad that adults are (mostly, including me) so boring. Today he went out in a santa hat, purple sunglasses and Peppa wellies. He inspires me to try not give a shit about the rest of the world and to think about my own wants first.

She's a kooky kid! She's a different character every day and i have to try to keep up with who i have to be in her game which isn't always easy!

I never stifle her on what she likes, if she's into Batman today but fairies and unicorns tomorrow then so be it! At the moment everything is about science and geography, she's been an atlas fanatic! None of her friends are into it but she seems to care less because it's what she finds interesting at the moment. Last year it was dinosaurs and palaeontology!

My daughter loves singing and will sing anywhere to anyone

My eldest lad, has a very good vocabulary which suprises and amuses us a lot, he does pick his clothes out (sometimes with horrendous combinations) but he's never been one to just follow the crowd which I love.

Refused to wear shoes and wore his sheep slippers whatever the weather! I used to get nasty looks from people who clearly thought he had no shoes.